Title: Scentless

Author: A. Welshman

Rating: G/PG (one 'bad' word, implied slash)

Fandom: Buffy/Angel

Category: Slash

Paring: Oz/?

Summary: Oz is sick.

Author Notes: {} sound effects

Spoilers: none

Disclaimer: As much as I wish these 'uns were mine, they're not. They belong to their respective creators and productions companies. I'm just borrowing.

Scentless
by A. Welshman

"AH-CHOO!" {sniffle}{snort}{coughcough}

Oz felt miserable.

He hadn't gotten sick very often before his cousin bit him, and never since he became a werewolf. So when he woke up this morning with the sniffles, he was surprised. He wasn't worried, though, since he figured that it would fade as the day passed. Instead, it had developed into the worst head-cold he could remember ever having.

He felt like his sinuses were packed with wet cotton, he felt light-headed, he wasn't able to go more than two minutes without sneezing, and worst of all, he couldn't *smell* anything! He'd come to take for granted the expanded sense of smell that being a werewolf gave him. Although he didn't talk about it much (not that he talked much, period), he *enjoyed* his new sense of smell. The pale, delicate perfume of wild beeswax. The earthy odor of vampire ash. The slow, woody smell of a full-grown oak tree. The intoxicating scent of his lover, aroused.

But thanks to his steadily worsening cold, he couldn't smell, he could barely think, and he sure as hell wasn't going to try driving. So he did the next best thing: call for help.

"'elloh? Lub? Ohz."

Great. His stuffed-up sinuses made it impossible for him to speak clearly.

"'m zick."

"Don' ghot anyzing an' d'wanna dwive."

"'kay. Lub you."

Satisfied that his lover would be home soon with some over-the-counter cold medicine, Oz crawled back into bed and fell asleep.

He awoke sometime later when the bed dipped. Oz was only half-awake as he felt his lover curled up next to him. Oz curled back against and gently nuzzled the hard body and fell back asleep, smiling. He might not be able to smell beeswax or oak trees right now, but apparently he could still smell *some* things. God, but he loved this man.